grayreader's review
2.0
The main character was unlikeable, which would have been fine had he also been interesting in any way. An unfortunately bland story.
dogearedtales's review
2.0
I’ll give points for a great premise and good description but the main character was just the worst. There was no compelling reason for why he was the main character and he was perhaps the worst journalist ever. HOW DO YOU INTERVIEW SOMEONE TWICE AND NOT ASK A SINGLE SUBSTANTIVE QUESTION?!?!! Why doesn’t he question anyone or anything he’s told? And the resolution is heavy handedly alluded to halfway through but we spend the rest of the book waiting for him to figure it out.
I think I was unfairly hoping for another Evelyn Hugo with perfect mix of flashback and new, twists that surprise but tie together. To paraphrase a famous line: I have read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and this is definitely no Evelyn Hugo.
I think I was unfairly hoping for another Evelyn Hugo with perfect mix of flashback and new, twists that surprise but tie together. To paraphrase a famous line: I have read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and this is definitely no Evelyn Hugo.
francesturpin's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Murder and Domestic abuse
Minor: Murder, Sexism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
kimberlyp's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
ken_bookhermit's review
4.0
i’ve had this book from the library upwards of two months now and it only took a burst of reading energy for me to get around to it. but MAN i’m glad i didn’t give up on it when i had reader’s block. goes to show that some books benefit from a wait.
for some reason the way i imagine max hailey is that he looks like a bald ben lerner even though hailey was never described as having glasses. i don’t know. EDIT: I WAS THINKING, IN FACT, OF CHRISTIAN WIMAN!!!!
one of my favourite parts of this book was the way Los Angeles was described. reminiscent of raymond chandler except in a more modern sense that still held the quality of timelessness. the descriptions too, not just of windhall, are vivid and exquisite in colour. beautiful. i took notes. and seeing as sunset boulevard is one of my favourite films, the comments about hollywood, silent film stars, and swimming pools made me smile.
and another thing i appreciate is the parallel of the film the last train of avalon where the eleanor hayes’ character plays a journalist while max hailey himself is one.
if i were to nitpick something, it’s hailey’s personality and how he treats petra and madeleine. i don’t know what i was looking for, exactly, but his interactions with them gave off an opportunistic tinge. which i get for a crime thriller novel, but still. i do appreciate hailey getting nowhere without their help though.
and that ending was a well-deserved sigh after all the punctuations of emotion i had to undergo.
for some reason the way i imagine max hailey is that he looks like a bald ben lerner even though hailey was never described as having glasses. i don’t know. EDIT: I WAS THINKING, IN FACT, OF CHRISTIAN WIMAN!!!!
one of my favourite parts of this book was the way Los Angeles was described. reminiscent of raymond chandler except in a more modern sense that still held the quality of timelessness. the descriptions too, not just of windhall, are vivid and exquisite in colour. beautiful. i took notes. and seeing as sunset boulevard is one of my favourite films, the comments about hollywood, silent film stars, and swimming pools made me smile.
and another thing i appreciate is the parallel of the film the last train of avalon where the eleanor hayes’ character plays a journalist while max hailey himself is one.
if i were to nitpick something, it’s hailey’s personality and how he treats petra and madeleine. i don’t know what i was looking for, exactly, but his interactions with them gave off an opportunistic tinge. which i get for a crime thriller novel, but still. i do appreciate hailey getting nowhere without their help though.
and that ending was a well-deserved sigh after all the punctuations of emotion i had to undergo.
breezeduvall's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
rosecityreader's review
4.0
Ava Barry’s new novel WINDHALL brings the Golden Age of Hollywood back to life through a film noir lens. Barry tells the story well, with plenty of twists and turns, Old Hollywood atmosphere, interesting characters, and an exciting finish. Fans of old movies and good mysteries will love Windhall.
jakewritesbooks's review
3.0
Sigh. Why can’t books like this be easier to review?
There’s so much to like about Ava Barry’s debut novel Windhall…and so much that grated on my nerves. I really wanted to push this to a charity first-book-4-star review and I just couldn’t.
The book kind of feels like the version of the decaying mansion at the center of the story: beautiful and glamorous but uninhabitable and far past its prime.
Probably easier with this one to pull out the old good/bad formula:
Good:
-The book definitely brings old Hollywood to life in a real and interesting way.
-It has a solid knowledge of Los Angeles neighborhoods and deftly highlights the perpetual contrast between past and present in the city.
-Parts of the mystery were well-written and unpredictable.
-It definitely gets the nuances of the crumbling indie journalism industry.
-Has all the makings of a classic LA mystery tale, which is absolutely my bag.
Bad:
-Absolutely could not connect with the lead character. He wasn’t good or bad, he was just…present. It’s a glaring weakness of the whole book.
-The dialogue was wooden and uninspired.
-While the mystery had many twists, the ending was overdone.
-I can usually suspend my believability radar for any fiction but this one really pushed me hard.
I guess overall, I really liked the setting but couldn’t connect with the story…except when I could…but then I didn’t. Seriously, if Barry had a more interesting lead, I could overlook the other flaws but I just don’t really know what Max’s deal was or why I should care. Check this out if you like Old Hollywood tales and don’t mind them fictionalized.
There’s so much to like about Ava Barry’s debut novel Windhall…and so much that grated on my nerves. I really wanted to push this to a charity first-book-4-star review and I just couldn’t.
The book kind of feels like the version of the decaying mansion at the center of the story: beautiful and glamorous but uninhabitable and far past its prime.
Probably easier with this one to pull out the old good/bad formula:
Good:
-The book definitely brings old Hollywood to life in a real and interesting way.
-It has a solid knowledge of Los Angeles neighborhoods and deftly highlights the perpetual contrast between past and present in the city.
-Parts of the mystery were well-written and unpredictable.
-It definitely gets the nuances of the crumbling indie journalism industry.
-Has all the makings of a classic LA mystery tale, which is absolutely my bag.
Bad:
-Absolutely could not connect with the lead character. He wasn’t good or bad, he was just…present. It’s a glaring weakness of the whole book.
-The dialogue was wooden and uninspired.
-While the mystery had many twists, the ending was overdone.
-I can usually suspend my believability radar for any fiction but this one really pushed me hard.
I guess overall, I really liked the setting but couldn’t connect with the story…except when I could…but then I didn’t. Seriously, if Barry had a more interesting lead, I could overlook the other flaws but I just don’t really know what Max’s deal was or why I should care. Check this out if you like Old Hollywood tales and don’t mind them fictionalized.